Gun barrel mounting



May 18, 1965 w. B. RUGER ET AL 3,183,617

GUN BARREL MOUNTING Filed March so. 1964 FIG. 1

INVENTORS WILLIAM B. RUGER BY HARRY H SEFRIEDII AT TORN EYS United States Patent 3,183,617 GUN BARREL MOUNTING William B. Ruger and Harry H. Sefried II, Southport, Conn., assignors to Sturm, Ruger and Company, Inc, Southport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Mar. 30, 1964, Scr. No. 355,545 7 Claims. (Cl. 42-75) This invention relates to guns, especially to small arms including hand guns, rifles and shotguns, and has for its object the provision of an improved combination of receiver and barrel which facilitates manufacture while retaining the standards of performance. It is an object of the invention to eliminate thread connections of the barrel to the receiver and the consequent time-consuming fitting and head-spacing of the barrel in the receiver relative to the breechblock.

The receiver of the invention has a barrel-1'eceiving hole, preferably cylindrical, of precise dimensions, a forward face square with the hole and a forward extension having an upwardly facing radial support surface concentric with the barrel hole and a wedge-shaped end on which is secured a locking block having converging surfaces mating with the wedge-shaped end. The barrel has a rearward or chamber-end making a snug fit in the hole, a shoulder which engages the forward face, a bearing surface which engages the support surface and a transverse slot providing a sloping surface which is engaged by the locking block to force the shoulder into pressed engagement with the forward face and the bearing surface into pressed engagement with the support surface.

The improved barrel and receiver combination of the invention makes it possible to connect a completely finished barrel with mounted sights on a completely finished receiver without making adjustments or nuu'ring the finishes. Many modern guns have aluminum alloy receivers which have anodized and dyed finishes which must be handled very carefully in the connection of the barrel. The barrel being of steel must have a different finishing treatment so that the receiver finish and barrel finish cannot be made after connection. To connect together a finished aluminum receiver and a finished steel barrel by customary practices is time-consuming and can result in injury to the finish of the receiver or the barrel. A further complication is that the sights must be located and mounted, and the bullet ramp and extractor slot located and made after fitting the barrel. The head spacing may cause a further time-consuming adjustment.

The invention makes it possible to completely finish the receiver, completely finish the barrel, including the mounting of the sights, and mount the barrel without impairing the finishes, and achieve the desired head-spacing and sight alignment. Moreover, the barrel may have a pre-formed bullet ramp and extractor slot which always assume proper alignment when the barrel is attached to the receiver.

These and other novel features of the invention will be better understood after considering the following discussion and accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the connecting parts of a receiver and barrel, with parts in section;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section at 22 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section at 3-3 of FIG. 2.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings comprises a receiver 1 of any suitable construction such as an aluminum casting having a polished, anodized and dyed finish. The receiver can have any suitable breechblock 2 which may be of the locked or blow-back types. The receiver has a precision cut bore hole 3, circular in cross-section and preferably cylindrical. The receiver has an integral extension 4, er ending for- I holes 10 and 11 respectively.

3,183,617 Patented May 18, 1965 ward of the flat transverse surface 5. The extension has a cylindrical support surface 6, concentric with the bore hole 3 and of any desired segmental size. It may be of such size as to serve merely as a shelf, for example semicylindrical, or it may be fully cylindrical. The important function of the extension is to serve as an under support or brace for the barrel. The extension has a truncated wedge end 7 having converging surfaces 8 and 9 and spaced threaded holes 10 and 11 the center lines of which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bore 3 and support surface 6.

The barrel 12 has a cylindrical end 13 which makes a tight or snug fit in the bore 3 and the inner surface makes functional contact with the end of the breech-block 2. The extractor slot 14 is pre-cut and makes exact alignment with the extractor 15. The cylindrical section 16 of the barrel is concentric with the longitudinal axis A of the end 13, and has a shoulder 17 which butts against the surface of the receiver.

The barrel has a transverse slot such as a cut 18 which provides an appreciable space and the sloping engaging surface 19. The locking block 21 has a V-slot 22, formed by the sides 23 and 24 the slopes of which are similar to those of surfaces 8 and 9 of the wedge end 7 and the engaging surface 19, and has two holes 25 and 26 which coincide with the holes and 11 in the extension.

The locking block 21 is mounted in the transverse slot 18 and the screws 27 and 28 are inserted through the holes and 26 and into threaded engagement with the These screws may have any suitable head such as Allen screw heads H for entering recesses in the locking block. The truncated wedge end '7 is so proportioned that surface 24 bears on the under surface 9 of the wedge end 7. The surface 8 is for clearance only. When these screws are tightened, the surface 23 of the locking block bears against the sloping engaging surface 19 on the barrel and the surface 24 bears against the surface 9. One component of force holds the shoulder 17 against the surface 5 and the other component secures the cylindrical surface 16 of the barrel in pressed contact with the support surface 6 of the extension 4. The barrel is held against upward movement of the muzzle end by the wedge end 7, the block 21, the bearing of shoulder 17 against surface 5 and by the resistance to turning offered by the engagement of part 13 in the hole 3. The barrel end is prevented from downward movement by the support of extension 4 and the close fit of part 13 in the hole 3. Surfaces 19 and 23 prevent rotation on axis A and the barrel is also held against sidewise movement by surfaces 6 and 16.

The receiver extension also provides an effective means for securing the stock 30 to the receiver. The screw 31 has a head 32 set into a recess in the stock and a threaded end in engagement with a threaded hole 33 in the extension 4. One screw could be used instead of the two screws 27 and 28. It is preferred to use two such screws because this permits the stock screw 31 to be in the center of the gun.

The barrel mounting of the invention, in its preferred embodiment, is characterized by a receiver having an accurately shaped cylindrical hole for receiving an accurate- 1y shaped cylindrical chamber-end of the barrel, and an accurately shaped cylindrical segment on a receiver extension which is concentric with the cylindrical hole. It is advantageous to construct these engaging components of the receiver and barrel with the closest practical tolerance to achieve maximum rigidity.

It is recognized that some deviations can be made from the preferred embodiment such as the use of a tapered bore in the receiver and spaced longitudinally extending ribs on the extension which support the barrel at desired points from the longitudinal vertical center. Such variations are considered to be within the scope of appended claims.

We claim:

1. The improved receiver and barrel combination for guns which comprises a hole in the receiver of circular cross-section, a forward face on the receiver exterior of the hole, a forward extension on the receiver having a support surface below the longitudinal axis of said hole which is concentric with the hole, a barrel having a chamber-end making a snug fit in said hole, a shoulder on the barrel which engages the forward face, a bearing surface on the barrel forward of the shoulder which engages the support surface on the extension, a transverse slot in the barrel providing a sloping engaging surface, and a locking block mounted on the extension, screw means for securing the locking block on the extension and in bearing contact with the sloping surface, said locking block coating with the sloping surface and extension to hold the shoulder in contact with the forward face and to hold the support surface of the barrel in contact with the support surface on the extension.

2. The improved combination as defined in claim 1 in which the forward extension has a wedge-shaped end and the locking block has an inwardly sloping surface which engages an under surface of the wedge-shaped end.

3. The improved combination as defined in claim 1 in which the extension has two spaced and threaded holes, two holes in the locking block, and two screws in said holes which secure the locking block in contact with the sloping surface and a surface of the extension.

4. The improved combination as defined in claim 1 in which the barrel has an extractor slot located with reference to said transverse slot whereby the extractor slot is in proper position when the barrel is secured as aforementioned.

5. The improved receiver and barrel combination for guns which comprises a cylindrical hole in the receiver, a forward face on the receiver exterior of said hole, a forward extension integral with the receiver having a support surface of cylindrical shape below the longitudinal axis of said hole, a barrel having a chamber-end making a snug fit in said hole, a shoulder on the barrel which engages the forward face, a cylindrical support surface on the barrel forward of the shoulder which engages the support surface of cylindrical shape on the extension, a transverse slot in the barrel providing a sloping surface, a locking block mounted on the extension, screw means for securing the locking block on the extension and in bearing contact with the sloping surface and extension, said locking block eoacting with the sloping surface and extension to hold the shoulder in contact with the forward face and to hold the support surface of the barrel in contact with the support surface on the extension.

6. The improved combination as defined in claim 5 in which the forward end of the extension has an under bearing surface, and the locking block has an upwardly facing bearing surface which engages the bearing surface of the extension.

7. The improved combination as defined in claim 5 in which the barrel has an extractor slot located with refcrence to said transverse slot whereby the extractor slot is in proper position when the barrel is secured as aforementioned.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 701,288 6/02 Browning. 2,747,313 5/56 Crittendon et al 42-75 3,014,303 12/61 Brown 4225 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,183,617 May 18, 1965 William B. Ruger .et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent reqiiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as correctedbelow.

Column 3, line 18, for "coating" read coacting Signed and sealed this 5th day of October 1965.

(SEAL) Mtest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER ERNEST W. SWIDER Commissioner of Patents Mlosting Officer 

1. THE IMPROVED RECEIVER AND BARREL COMBINATION FOR GUNS WHICH COMPRISES A HOLE IN THE RECEIVER OF CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION, A FORWARD EXTENSION ON THE RECEIVER HAVING A THE HOLE , A FOWARD EXTENSION ON THE RECEIVER HAVING A SUPPORT SURFACE BELOW THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID HOLE WHICH IS CONCENTRIC WITH THE HOLE, A BARREL HAVING A CHAMBER-END MAKING A SNUG FIT IN SAID HOLE, A SHOULDER ON THE BARREL WHICH ENGAGES THE FORWARD FACE, A BEARING SURFACE ON THE BARREL FORWARD OF THE SHOULDER WHICH ENGAGES THE SUPPORT SURFACE ON THE EXTENSION, A TRANSVERSE SLOT IN THE BARREL PROVIDING A SLOPING ENAGING SURFACE, AND A LOCKING BLOCK MOUNTED ON THE EXTENSION, SCREW MEANS FOR SECURING THE LOCKING BLOCK ON THE EXTENSION AND IN BEARING CONTACT WITH THE SLOPING SURFACE, SAID LOCKING BLOCK COATING WITH THE SLOPING SURFACE AND EXTENSION TO HOLD THE SHOULDER IN CONTACT WITH THE FORWARD FACE AND TO HOLD THE SUPPORT SURFACE OF THE BARREL IN CONTACT WITH THE SUPPORT SURFACE ON THE EXTENSION. 